Oil-well control-head valve



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v la.. F. WILMER om WELL ooNTRoL HEAD VALVE Filed Feb. 2:5, 1924 2 Sheemqssww; 2

IN VEN TOR.

Patented .le l', 1926.

y STATES A'Par ramt linnen', er TULsa, f.

OIL-WELL CONTROL-HEAD VALVE.

Application-med February" 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,678. Y i

This invention relates to oil well control head valves.

One object of the invention is'to provide a control head valve which is adjustable to cut od communication between the well and atmospherelwhile leaving open the way for..

the fiow of oilifrom the well to the storage tanks, and which is also adjustable to cut oil communication between-the well and tanksk while allowing any oil in the drill tubing vabove to drain oft' into the tanks, whichl opi erations of the valve are permissible without interference from the drill cable extending therethrough. j

Another object of the invention is to pro# vide a valve embodying thrust bearings so constructed and arranged as to sustain the valve and keep it centered against'all working pressures, operating to prevent freezing of the valve under high pressures and to reduce toa minimum Iiability ofgrinding conl tact between surfaces tending to produce `f sparks and to cause a conlagration. 1 QStill another object of the invention is to "provide means whereby, incase of an acof parts, hereinafter fully described and.

claimed, reference being had to the ,accompanying drawing, in which i Figure 1 is a view in elevation looking toward one side of the control head.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section on 'line 3--3 of Figure 1, showing the valve member in one of its positions.

Figure 4 is a similar-view showing the .50 valve' member in anotherposition.

. Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure y' is a detail. view of the Valve member perse.-

The control head valve embodying my Aing devices 7 for engagement therewith,

valve comprises a casing 1 having a central bore 2 of circular contour. 'Communicating with the top and bottom of this bore are alined vertical passages 3 and 4, and communicating with opposite sides of the bore are alined horizontal passages 5 and 6. The passage 3 is counterbored at its upper end to receive the overhead drill tube or oil-saver of standard make and provided with fastenl while the passage 4 is counterbored and in,- ternally threaded '.for engagement with the upper end of the well tubing 8. At one end the casing is formed with a chamber or recess 9 communicating at its inner side with the bore 2 and closed` at its outer side by a fixed wall or head 10, and at its diametrically opposite side the casing is provided with an opening 11 communicating at its inner side with the bore 2 and closed at its outer side by a detachable head 12 secured in position by stud bolts 13 and nuts 14; a gasket 15 bemg disposed between the faceL of such end of the casing and the head 12 vto form a tight joint and the head l2 being provided with an inwardly extending flange 16 snugly fitting within the opening 11 so as to center the head in position and supplement the joint closing action of the gasket 15. i Fitted within the casing is a rotary control valve 17, said valve comprising a pair of circular end disks or heads 18 and 19 and a web 20 connecting said disks or heads at one side. This web 20 is approximately of quadrantal ferm, that is, extends substantially around one .quarter of the circumference of the valve, `the valve being otherwise open between the heads or disks 18 and 19.. The said heads or disks 18 and '19 are formed to respectively fit snugly within the chamber 9 and opening 11 and kto turn or rotate therein, and are provided with annular peripheral grooves 21 receiving suitable packing material 22 to close the joints be' tween the peripheries of the disks and the walls of the said chamber and opening against the escape of oil orgases from the interior of the control head.

The disks 18 and 19 are provided with dat '105 inner faces merging into the curved portions 4of the inner face of the web 20, so that the inner surfaces of the disks and the web'will accurately aline with the bore 2 and walls of the passages 3, 4;, 5 and 6 when the valve is 110 in position for connecting any one or more of such passages with the bore, so as to secure a flow of the oil and gases without a itation or interference. The valve '17 is adjustable to the position shown in Figure 3 for cutting olf communication between the well tubing 8 and the -passage v6, and ytothe particularv storage tank or reservoir to which said passag leads. rlhe valve is also adjustable to the' diametrically opposite position from that shown in Figure 3 to close communication between the tubing 8 and passage 5 and the storage tank or reservoir to which said pas-v sage leads. The valve isfurther adjusable to the position shown in Figure 4 to cut oif communication between the well tubing 8.,

and the atmos here. The valve is still further adjustab e to a position diametrically opposite that shown in Figure 4, so as to cut o the How of oil from the-tubing 8 to the control head and to both passages 5 and 6, the last-named position resulting in the closure of the well'against any discharge of tions, said notches extending inwardly a suf-v cient distance from the valve edges to permit the web to have the proper lapping en gagements for a closing action against the flow of oil, this construction allowing the valve to be closed to cut off communication between the well and the atmosphere or to j wholly cut off the-flow of oil from the well without interference from the drill cable. As show n, vthe walls of the casing bore are provided, at their points of intersection with the passages, with bearing surfaces 20, and the outer surface of the weblis provided in the region of vits end edges with rounded `bearing faces 20" to engage said bearin surfaces 20, the said outer face of the we being otherwise substantially flat, as shown at' 20"', between said bearing faces 20b and lying withinthe adjacent portion of the lperiphery of the valve. Grooves 26 extend across the said bearing faces 20b of the web between the disks 18 and 19, and receive packing strips 27, of copper, bronze or other suitable materia-l, for effecting a fluid tight engagement between the valve and its seat faces without wear upon the valve body itself.

The valve is provided at one end with a spindle or shaft 28 which is journaled in and extends outwardly through an opening 29 in the headv 12 and through a suitable stuiiing box 30, provided for an obvious urpose, the outer end of said shaft or spind e-terminating in anangularj portion 31 for the ,reception of ajhandle, wrench or other valve operating device. Formed upon each end of" the valve is a journal 32, which journals project respectively into annular bearing chainbers formed by "'nwardly projecting annular bearing ribs 33 n Athe wall or head 1() and the h'ead 12, an'd'f'tflie opposed faces of the coacting journals and bearing ribs are shaped to. form raceways kfor anti-friction bearing balls 34, thus providing an anti-friction suptionand grinding of metal against metal tending to produce sparks liable to cause a contlagration. By this mode of mounting the valve these advantages are lsecured in a simple manner and binding of the valve prevented, so that no matter how high the internal pressure Within the valve may be adj usted for any of the controlling actions de- V scribed. The described construction and mode of mounting the valve also admits of the easy and convenient assemblage of the parts and their disassemblage for inspection, cleaning, repairsQ and all other purposes whenever required. By relieving the, valve of all excess Wear and tear, its life period is also considerably prolonged andshut-,downs or accidents ordinarily caused by binding valves eifectually prevented. The described form of the valve,co1nposed of the end disks and web, is furthermore of advantage in providing a passage free from obstructions liable to cause agitation or interference with the free flow of the oil and gases in the intended direction. y

j The disk 18 is provided with an axial opening 35 extending through its inner face and which communicates vwith a socket or recess 36 of relatively larger diameter formed in its outer face, 'and which socket or recess in turn is arranged in alinement with an opening 37 formed in the,head or wall 10. Fitted in said socket or recess 36 is a bushing nozzle 38 provided with jet passages 39 extending in parallel relation transversely thereof. These passages are V- shaped on their inlet side and terminate on their outlet side in restricted delivery portions in the form of slits projecting lengthwise at right angles to the plane` of the inner wall ofthe web 20, said slits being inclined in opposite directions the plane ofthe wall-and towar diametrically opposite sides of the valve The opening 37 receiyes thedelivery end of apipe iso marmo A, s

40 containing a check valve 41 and leading from `a suitable source of high pressure steam supply. Atany suitable point in this pipe'z a valve for governing the supplyl of steam to the bushing nozzle may be provided. This construction provides a steam snuii'er of simple and highly efficient type for extinguishingplames in the event that through ac ident or other cause, the oil or gas within t ie..-

well casing or control head should catch V`afire. Under such conditions, the valvemay be shifted to either of its upper or-lower closed positions and jets of steam forced at upward and downward angles into the control head thus blanketingthe liames and' causing their rapid extinguishment.

Having thus fully described my inven- V- tion, I claim:

zontal transversely alined passages in opposite sidesthereof, said passages intersectv ing the bore of said casing, one end offsaid casing having an opening extending outwardlyfrom said bore and the other end of said casing having a recess extending outwardly from the bore and provided with an integral closing wall, a detachable closure yfor said opening, and-agrotary valve mounted in said casing, said valvecomprising circular end disks fitted to turn respectively within said opening andrecess and snugly engaging the peripheral walls thereof and a segmental web connecting said disks, lthe walls of the casing bore"` being provided with 'bearing surfaces at their points of intersection with the passages, and said web having li/ne receiving .recesses in its transverse edges and having its-outer surface provided adjacentl to its edges with rounded bearing faces to engage said rbearing surfaces of the4 walls of the bore, the outer face of said web being otherwise iiat between said bearing surfaces and lying'withinthe adjacent` portion ofthe periphery of the valve.

2. In a control head valve for'weli-drilling apparatus, the combination` of afcasing having two pairs of vertically.` and laterally alined passages, and having a wall provided a segmental portion fitted wi-thin said casing, one of said disks being provided with an opening registering with said steam sup- -ply pvipeand communicating with the space s' between the disks, and a bushing nozzle fitted in said opening in the disk and having jet passages with delivery portions inclined toward diametrically opposite -sides of the 'valve.

3. In a control head valve for well drilling apparatus, a casing having a pair of4 vertically alined'passages and a pair of-laterally alined passages, and having a wall provided with an opening therein, a steam supply conductor fitted within said openxing, and a rotary valve comprising spaced end disks and a segmental portion connecting said disks, one of said disks being provided with an opening registering with said steam supply pipe and communicating with the space between the disks. 1

4. In a combined snuifer and control head for oil and gas wells, a body memberadapted to be connected to the upper end' df a vwell-casing and having a central passageway and lateral openings communicating with said passageway, a valve member controlling certain of said lateral openings and said passageway, and'ports connecting other Of said openings 'with the passageway, said ports and valve being so arranged as to perinit thev passageway to be closed by the valveand the steam to be fed into the passageway on the inlet'side of the closed valve, the vcentral passageway being unobstructed below 'saidvalve In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

' BENJAMIN F. PALMER.

kwith anv opening therein, 'a steam supply lconductor fitted within said opening, a rotary valve comprising spaced end disks `and 

